BARRACK ROOM STORIES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 112, 2 May 1908, Page 4

BARRACK ROOM STORIES

When a soldier proves to be n poor shot, he is nut allowed to lire ball cartridge during the lield practice, i.e.. shooting with the rest of the company at targets representing all attacking force, but lias to go wilh them, using blank cartridges. One dav, as the captain, of a certain company 'was strolling along behind lumen suipcrintcnding the shooting at a row of targets, -lie noticed a -ergcaut. taking no interest in the practice whatever. Directly Urn wily N.C.O. i-aught the officer's eye, however, he knelt down beside the nearest man, and, putting his lield glasses up, said to the man so that the captain could hear: "'iour sliots arc going low, my lad. A little more elevation is needed. Now you are going just over the top of the laigct. That"* 'right; you're getting c\cry slid oil the mark now." ~,1,1 Ju-l as the officer arrived behind the -crgeant the man turned ami said: "AH ri"ht. sergeant; don t worry about llie, I'm firing blank!"

A general wa.- inspecting a regiment Ihe colonel of which was a very bad |,„,-email, and this fact was well known Ihe men. The battalion was forme 1 up in ,pi,liter column., and, as the C.O. i.,ue t lie command: "Advance m r.,lunin!" the band struck up the regimental march past, with the result thai ]„- l:or-e plunged violently, and he was very nearly unseated. As the leading company wis Hearing 1 lie -aiming point the captain glamc-i round to sec if his men were, imirehin-w.-li. ;inil wsis liovjii'n-il io s,,p Dh 1 ot lie: front rank liniieh up in IV middle and every man watching the CO' ell'orls to retain his seat. •• Ka-'e I,lf there!" he i-hoiitcd angrily. No 'c ain't." said a recruit, "but jnllv >oon will In'!'' CnifUwl <'2 ,rs ' n ( ' all ' t0,.11- at a reduced price, and as Tommy Atkins is not a man of means there rj fairly good demand for these damaged '"nil" dav a Scotchman walked into the canteen and asked for two penn'orth of /•v*lr*k*'t! WvtTgot lione," said the steward. •'Ah. wcel," said the Scot, ' ye nng'tt ju-t crack us a few, then." There was once a certain sergeantmajor who ns famous for his effo I to lile'-ise his commanding otlicci. On< when the battalion was o„'tl,e seashore the 0.0. called the *e • "cant-major np to liini and said: •Hi. .ci-'i 'nntma jor, wliat time does the tid< cini>r inV 1 . _ Tbi' lit-mn.f«r smartly and answered. "Any time you like, ciiV